Tuesday, September 27, 2011

As mentioned in my previous post, last weekend I attended IMATS as a part of the whirlwind weekend that was ABBW.

Of course, I went into IMATS with a plan to see as many amazing industry professionals as I could during the scheduled shows however, that plan went out the window when I got caught up in beauty shopping mania.

Eyelash Applicator – I’m very excited to see if this will improve my false eyelashes technique.

Various Eye, Lip and Face brushes from the Royal and Langnickel S.I.L.K range

The UNI Palette - This will come in handy to house my Stila eyeshadow duos.

As an extra special surprise for ABBW attendees Royal and Langnickel were kind enough to present us with a 12 piece brush set from their S.I.L.K Green Line collection.

And from the gorgeous girls at SLA, we were each given a surprise lucky dip of an item from their professional and organic makeup line – I was lucky enough to receive one of their Crystal Eyeshadows which contains crushed mother of pearl – very beautiful.

Don’t ask my why I have purchased more make-up on the eve of IMATS and The ABBW but since I’ve started this blog I have developed an obsessive/compulsive need to own a ridiculous amount of make-up so one more little lipstick isn’t going to hurt anyone, is it?

From Sportsgirl's new lipstick range, let me introduce you to Pout About It in Fuchsia Splash.

An amazing matte fuchsia pink that is vibrant in colour and very long lasting. It may be a little on the dry side but tolerable for a matte lippie.

The packaging is sleek in black with a clear bottom which displays the gorgeous bright pink and reminds me a lot of the packaging of NYX Round Lipsticks.

For only $9.95(AUD) it’s a steal and can be purchased online or in-store at Sportsgirl.

If you haven’t had a play with Sportsgirl’s cosmetics range, do check it out. For the price range it is pretty good quality and colours are always on trend.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Last weekend I attended my very first International Make-up Artistry Trade Show (IMATS) held at the Sydney Convention Centre. Being a beauty lover I have heard many great things about IMATS from international bloggers/vloggers and was very excited to attend my first show in Sydney and as I was attending as part of the ABBW, I was lucky enough to receive a sponsored entry.

Show Highlights

One of the highlights was sharing the IMATS experience with 84 other beauty bloggers from the ABBW. That being said, I send a huge shout out to my shopping buddy, Priyanka from Twinxntrax.

When I first arrived I made a dash for the Inglot stand which had all their gorgeous vibrant eyeshadows from their Freedom System on display. I didn’t go to IMATS to purchase another Inglot palette but the colourful, pigmented and buttery eyeshadows were too hard to resist (plus their 30% off IMATS special, I may never purchase them at a better price).

I was also wow’ed by the Illamasqua stand which had product on sale for as little as $10!! – Yes it was chaos as you could imagine.

Although I didn’t actually get to see Elessa from Pursebuzz in full force (I was actually caught up in the Inglot craziness at the time) I did see her around the show and it was so inspiring to see someone who has come so far through beauty blogging – good on her :)

As a special surprise from makeup brush powerhouse Royal and Langnickle (who were a major sponsor of IMATS and ABBW), all the beauties from ABBW were treated to a special VIP room complete with refreshments and nibbles, express manis and make up pampering which was amazingly generous. It was a much needed space to sit, relax and refuel before heading out for some beauty shopping.

Just before I had to leave I made a dash to see MACs Senior Artist, Nicole Thompson present Body Art Trilogy which featured three very amazing and unique body art creations. Although the tips and techniques shared were not necessary those I would use from my every day make up looks, it was great to see makeup used in a way to create living art.

My first IMATS was a huge success and I look forward to attending many more in the future. My only regret was getting too involved with shopping and missing out on a lot of great speakers and of course the man of the moment – Napoleon Perdis.

Did you attend IMATS last weekend? What were your highlights or lowlights? Stay tuned, haul post coming soon.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

This weekend (24 & 25 September) 85 Australian Beauty Bloggers are invading Sydney to celebrate IMATS and a weekend packed full of beauty fun that is the Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend (ABBW).

The first of its kind, the ABBW will be a weekend full of beauty shopping, media events, master classes, PR and brand networking and much more – basically a beauty bloggers delight.

After almost turning green with envy from all the Twitter buzz under the hashtag #ABBW2011, I joined the wait list with my fingers crossed and was thrilled to receive a last minute invite.

Now with only a few days until the weekend, I’m making last minute preparations (Blog Business Cards..check, Hair Appointment…check, Spray Tan Appointment..check) and I cannot wait to meet some of my fave beauty bloggers and share my experience on Beauty Soiree.

For those beauty lovers that will be in Sydney this weekend make sure you make a bee-line for IMATS (International Make-up Artistry Trade Show) which will be held on both Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 September at the Sydney Convention Centre. The event will include an array of beauty exhibitors: Illamasqua, Inglot, MAC, MUFE, Napoleon Perdis (just to name a few) and will be host to amazing speakers including Napoleon Perdis, Elessa Jade of Pursebuzz.com and Nicole Thomson of MAC.

This will be my first time attending IMATS and I’m so excited to be able to share it with fellow beauty lovers.

Also want to give a huge thank you to Kimmi from The Plastic Diaries and Jacie from You've Got Nail who are the brain child's behind the ABBW and have put an amazing amount of their personal time into making this weekend possible.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

As the weather is starting to warm up I am welcoming spring with open arms so as I headed out this morning I thought I would share my face of the day created to give a simple, pretty and natural look perfect for warm spring days.

Monday, September 12, 2011

In spring 2012 I’ll be heading down the aisle but this time it will be in support of my boyfriend’s sister as her bridesmaid. Never has there been such an anticipated wedding (well maybe mine will top the anticipation list when I eventually get engaged) and I couldn’t be more thrilled in sharing their special day while being a part of their bridal party.

The bride-to-be has kindly given us bridesmaids free reign to source favoured styles for dresses keeping in mind her preferred floor length and colour. That being said, I took to Polyvore for some bridesmaid inspiration.

Have any good recommendations for bridesmaids dresses? Please comment below :)

Today I received my September Lust Have It box and like a kid in a candy store I couldn’t wait to open it up and reveal the beauty goodies all perfectly wrapped up inside.

Lust Have It is an online beauty subscription service (similar to US Birchbox and UK Glossybox) where for $14.95 you receive 4-5 luxury sample size beauty products delivered to your door each month. Each month is a surprise and most of the samples included are those from high end brands so it’s perfect for those who want to try the product before you buy.

This month I received (L-R)

Pure Fiji – Coconut Milk Shower Gel

Lancôme – Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara

Nicole by OPI - Ultimate trends setter’s lacquer

Urban Rituelle – Flourish organics hand cream

Kerastase – Elixir Ultime

This months box has not disappointed, the coconut shower gel smells amazing and I have been very curious to try the new Lancôme Doll Eyes mascara so I’m so thrilled to find it included in this months box :)

Have you signed up to Lust Have It or a similar subscription service? I would love to know your thoughts on the September box or what you received in boxes from similar services.

For more information or to sign up to Lust Have It visit their website.

Friday, September 2, 2011

August has flown by but I cannot complain as I’m really excited for what September has in store. So to put an end to a cold winter and to kick off spring with style, I thought I would do a August Beauty Favourites post, enjoy. Xx

August launched my love (or obsession) with lip products and these four have been my top picks for the month.

SLA Rich Bio Lipstick in 11 – Day or night, anything goes with this dusty pink rose colour. SLA’s Bio range is made from all natural ingredients and this lipstick applies nicely and is long lasting.

Front:

Mirenesse Velvet Lip Lift Moisture Shine in Anemone – One of the samples I received in my first Lust Have It box. Officially a lip plumper, my favourite thing about this gloss is the colour; it’s a nice wearable nude pink. True to its name it applies like velvet and has a nice shine. Once on, I do notice that my lips look slightly plump without the annoying tingling or sting.

I love cream blushes thanks to Bloom. The Sheer Colour Cream is such a nice wearable colour for both day and night and to apply I use my Sigma Duo Fibre F50 and lightly pat onto cheeks to build the desired look.

I’ve heard and read the rave reviews time and time again so I finally caved and purchased the infamous bronzer and blush and of course – I love them.

Any NARS lover can understand my devastation when I dropped my Orgasm Blush and it cracked!! In desperation, I jumped onto YouTube and conducted make-up surgery with the “alcohol pressing method” and although (thank goodness) it applies the same… it will never look the same again L.

Also received in my Lust Have It box (look out for my September box review), I used this product once and I loved how smooth and soft my skin felt instantly after use. The product is a unique rice-based enzyme powder, that when mixed with water creates an exfoliating paste that is gentle enough to use daily but gritty enough to leave your skin smooth and soft. I will be definitely purchasing the full size when I finish my sample.